Project-Based Learning Based in

Literature (PUBLIT)An introduction and an initial assignment

©Cynthia Sarver 2012

Two Types of EQs

Teachers pose Open EQs as

a means of engaging

students in thinking like

experts in the field. No

definitive answer expected.

Teachers pose Guiding EQs

as a means of uncovering

desired understandings.

Students construct meaning

as they wrestle with the

question.

Open: Challenges students

to think more deeply and

creatively about important

recurring and unsettled

issues

Guiding: Guides student

inquiry toward a deeper

understanding of a big idea.

Examples

Open

What is a true friend?

Guiding

What are the signs of a fair weather friend?

Further breakdown

Overarching

Point toward general, transferrable understandings

Topical

Related to the discipline

Topical or Overarching?

Is blood thicker than water?

To be or not to be?

“Frenemies”: Friends, enemies, both, or neither?

Should Frog have lied to Toad?

How do authors manipulate me to like or dislike a

character?

Project-Based Unit Plan Anchored in Literature

Unit Title/Guiding Question: Overarching & Open

Meant to promote debate, food for thought

Should be relevant to students’ interests or made

engaging to them

Based in principal theme of the novel (leads to EU)

Topical EQs in Project-Based Unit

Based in Literature (PUBLIT)

Topical EQs derive from skills needed to complete

the culminating project: Guiding EQs

For example, if I am writing a memoir about family

for my culminating project, topical EQs might be:

Why are memoirs interesting to read?

How do memoirists show narrators’ views of

characters (rather than tell us about them)?

How do memoirists organize their narratives?

Steps to planning a PUBLIT

unit: EU EQ

STEP ONE

1. Generate the EU. Answer the question: why do

we read this text? What is the message or moral

that we walk away from this text with?

Essential Understanding

2. Turn EU into EQ . Remember EQs and EUs are

opposite sides of the same coin.

Devise a culminating project

STEP TWO

1. Think about ways in which the theme or

overarching EQ/EU transfers beyond the literary

text (as it should).

Consider applications of the EU outside of

classroom – in local community (from school to

neighborhood to town/city; expand to national

context only if absolutely necessary).

Devise a project that addresses this local issue by

engaging students in using expressive literacies

(ie., speaking, writing, and/or composing).

Task Analysis

STEP THREE

Break down the culminating project into its component pieces:

For example, if I’m planning to have students make video public service announcements, component skills might include

1. Script-writing

2. Persuasion (how it’s done in film)

3. PSA genre study (elements of the PSA)

4. Identifying the purpose of message and linking it with audience

5. Linking audience, purpose and tone; identifying how to create tone in video

6. Filming and editing techniques

7. How to use editing software and camera

NOTE that all but #7 can be linked to ELA standards

Layer in ELA Standards

STEP FOUR

Attach corresponding ELA standard to culminating project and to component parts

Make sure that each component is essentially teachable in one 40 minute class period

For example, you wouldn’t teach “the essay” in one day, so this would need to be broken down to components teachable in one day:

Introductions

Conclusions

The thesis

Transitions

Etc.

Sequence

STEP FIVE

Place these component items in what you think is a logical order so as to lead up to the culminating project.

Make sure to include (at least) one day for introducing the culminating project.

Don’t worry about “teaching the book” at the moment. We will work that in in future “passes” at this plan.

Devote at most 3-4 weeks of lessons (i.e., 15-20 component pieces, meaning that you can’t teach everything and should be willing to cut some stuff)

Layer in Topical Essential

Understandings & Questions

STEP SIX

For the final expressive literary product (i.e.,

culminating project), and for each day’s

component skill as possible, identify

corresponding:

A) Topical Understandings; and

B) Guiding Questions

Schedule

STEP SEVEN

Finally, commit the sequence (including EUs&EQs) that you developed

to a M-F calendar. Label weeks with “Week 1,” “Week 2,” etc.

Example:

• Week 1

• Monday

• Tuesday

• Etc.

Only one component skill per day!

Again, make sure that you have no more than 15 (i.e., 3 weeks worth

of) component skills represented at this point (We will use up more

days/weeks when we layering in the reading of anchor and ancillary texts).

Assignment

In a document divided into seven separate

sections corresponding to each of the seven steps,

show your work for the above for a PUBLIT that is

anchored in one of the summer reading texts.

Submit completed document online (to BB)

next Thursday, November 1

Also bring a hard copy to class with you for

workshopping in class